Views of Farmers and Industrial Entrepreneurs on the Iberian Pig Quality Standard: An In-Depth Interview Research Study

摘要

This paper aims to assess the main opinions of farmers and industrial entrepreneurs on the implementation of the current Spanish Iberian Pig Quality Standards regulation as well as on the processing technologies of Iberian cured products. The study is based on a qualitative research process through in-depth interviews, and has allowed the identification of aspects that can be improved both at the level of the Iberian meat industry and in the administrative processes in the view of the main actors of the Iberian pork sector in Spain. The aspects of the Quality Standard related to the protection of the base of the Iberian breed, the conditions of production in the traditional system (the montanera), as well as the ripening time of the products were mostly supported by the farmers and industrial entrepreneurs. However, they showed certain inconformity with the requirements established by the Quality Standard for other production systems such as the non-free-range fodder-fed and free-range fodder-fed, therefore they demanded changes in these aspects.